June Is Great Outdoors Month

June is Great Outdoors Month®, a month where dozens of public and private organizations host more than 15,000 events across the country to bring people to the nation’s waters, beaches, mountains, forests, deserts and more.

Invitations to #EscapeTheIndoors are being issued by the nation’s governors, the U.S. Congress and other top national leaders through proclamations, resolutions, public service announcements and events. Outreach efforts by the nation’s outdoor recreation community are coordinated through the Great Outdoors Month® Leadership Council and aided by national sponsors ASPIRA-a campground reservation service, AARP, NIC Inc.-digital government service provider, and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.

Information is available through www.greatoutdoorsmonth.org, which includes copies of Presidential and gubernatorial proclamations.  The site also provides links to events planned throughout the month.

Celebration of the Great Outdoors in June highlights outdoor fun – but also builds understanding of the link between outdoor recreation, better health and a stronger economy. Studies highlight that outdoor fun can contribute mightily to reducing the costs of chronic illnesses, and outdoor fun is one of the largest and fastest growing forces in the U.S. economy at $734 billion annually in gross output – 2.2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product – and supporting 4.6 million jobs. Nearly all RVs and boats sold in America are manufactured in America, and Americans work in recreation retail and service jobs in cities, park gateway communities and at recreation sites ranging from campgrounds to ski areas.

Major celebrations now on deck include National Trails Day, National Boating and Fishing Week, Great Outdoors Day of Service, Great American Campout and National Marina Day. Other upcoming events include Urban Kids Fishing Derby on the National Mall and National Get Outdoors Day on June 8. To grow the appeal of the outdoors to kids, the augmented reality game Agents of Discovery is available at hundreds of public recreation sites, including more than 80 national forests.

Great Outdoors Month gives people across the country the opportunity to enjoy at least five dozen outdoor recreation activities from archery to zip-lining, with new activities emerging constantly – including recent entries such as stand-up paddle boarding, wakeboarding and fat-tire snowbiking.